Thoughts from Up in the Mitten

I've spent the past 12 days chilling with Bonus Dad. Being in Nowhere Michigan. This time has made me realize how grief-struck I've been this year. Not just leaving everyone I loved behind--which, gotta tell you, was harder than it sounds. But two months later I lost my father. The double-whammy has been a hard loss. Though most everyone I love is a phone call away, it kind of sucks not to have the luxury of seeing them when I can. 

All that said, I'm still up with Bonus Dad. Today we are heading two hours North to Roger's City to look at a maritime museum. It is actually our second maritime museum. We went to one in Alpina last week. Bonus Dad is a retired engineer. This is his kind of thing. I'm loving the history and the old technology too, so I guess it's my kind of thing as well. 

Yesterday we drove down to Saginaw to get Bonus Dad a new phone. He let me drag him to a quilting store and I must say, he was a very good sport about being stuck in there while I gawked and gushed over fabric. It was my third quilting store since I've been here. I now have enough fabric to make three quilts, all of which I'm planning to do.   

Pictures of my Michigan trip will come. I just haven't downloaded them off my phone. Be warned, most of them are of my view of Lake Henderson, which is right outside my window. It looks like glass right now, If it wasn't 60 degrees, I'd go outside and dip my toes in the water. 

On Thursday I leave this patch of paradise and travel to St. Louis to see Bliz. My overnight stay in Indiana isn't in an historic jail, but a Holiday Inn Express. As much as I would have liked to stay at the charming Air BnB again, it was just too far out of the way and it meant having to navigate Indianapolis at rush hour. I'm not up for that. Seeing Bliz is a nice byproduct of moving. This is our fourth visit in the past 12 months.  

In the past week, two Arizona friends reached out and asked if I had plans to come back any time soon. I'd really like to say yes. But I'm not sure. As much as I'd like to go back to Arizona and see my family and friends there it may have to wait a bit. Right now I have only a few windows of time open this fall to head back. Plus, I'm exhausted from traveling. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to stay in Texarkana and see if I can put down roots.